Monthly Archives: January 2016

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For several months now there have been a string of mobile phone thefts by moped gangs, mainly around the centre of Crouch End but also further afield. Moped riders drive around, looking for people using their phones, then mount the pavement next and snatch them.

In the last few weeks the attackers have become bolder and the number of thefts have increased. Haringey’s local councillors have arranged a meeting to take place this Wednesday, 20 January, at 8pm at Hornsey Town Hall.

They’ll be joined by police, London Assembly Member Joanne McCartney, shopkeepers and hopefully as many of you as can make it, to discuss how best to deal with the increase in crime.

The Labour Party is determined to present a clearer picture to the electorate than 2015 about where it stands with regard to business.

Speaking at the Crouch End Labour Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business Bill Esterson MP outlined a number of important ways in which Labour is seeking to persuade the business community that they are the party most likely to act in the interests of small business.

“Working people do well when the government has a good relationship with business, around the world the best economies understand that managers and workers belong in a partnership.”

He cited several ways in which the current government, and the previous coalition, had made life more difficult for small businesses, which actually make up the vast majority of firms in the country.

Less grants, fewer apprenticeships, the abolition of a career service, the largest ever trade deficit and a refusal to come up with an industrial strategy are among the issues that are making life increasingly difficult for small businesses.

He said Labour would reinstate the apprenticeships cut since 2010, and would develop a long-term strategy to build a relationship between education and work, and between government and manufacturing, which at the moment appears to be non-existent. The recent refusal to help the steel industry is only the most well-known example.

However, he made it clear that businesses have to play their part, stating Labour was “pro-business, but not business-as-usual.” He said the majority of businesses are socially responsible, and they know that this makes sense, but “we think it’s right to pick a fight with businesses who offer zero hour contracts or avoid paying their taxes.”

He also said the City of London “is more concerned with wealth extraction than wealth creation”, and he hoped Labour would be able to force through the previous coalition’s plans to separate ‘casino’ banking from the high street sector.

Crouch End is renowned for its thriving independent shops but many have closed since the recession and more are under threat for many reasons.

The government is continuing to make life hard for small businesses, forcing them to compete with subsidised and tax-avoiding corporations and recently increasing their workload by ordering small businesses to submit quarterly tax bills.

We can all help by shopping locally and spending less online, but what else can we do to help them survive?

Next Tuesday, 12 January at 8pm, Shadow Minister for small businesses Bill Esterson MP will be joining us at 28 Middle Lane for the launch of Save Our Shops.